Franklin J. Schaffner directed War Lord, an historical drama starring Charlton Heston.
This tale of a medieval warfare and culture in 11th-century Normandy is an adaptation of the play The Lovers by Leslie Stevens.
The film also features Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Guy Stockwell, Maurice Evans, Niall MacGinnis, Henry Wilcoxon and James Farentino, with Jon Alderson, Allen Jaffe, Sammy Ross, and Woodrow Parfrey.
Chrysagon de la Cruex (Heston) is a Norman knight charged with defending a Flemish village. A doomed romance, which defies the social norms, sparks growing confrontation with Chrysagon’s brother, Draco (Stockwell).
Chrysagon encounters Bronwyn (Forsyth), his future love, as she is harassed by his own men. Gradually he finds himself falling for the girl. Bronwyn’s father, village chief Odins, later asks Chrysagon’s permission for Bronwyn to marry Marc, to whom Bronwyn has been betrothed since childhood. Chrysagon approves, but soon regrets the decision; he wants Bronwyn for himself.
He later learns of “Droit du seigneur”, a right which permits the Lord of the Domain to sleep with any virgin on her wedding night. But custom demands Bronwyn be given up by dawn. When Bronwyn is not returned, Marc demands justice. hat the
The village does not realize that she has chosen to stay of her own free will.
The conflicts take place against the background of war against Frisian raiders who plague the Flemish coast.
Critics largely lauded the film’s “gritty” realistic portrayal of the times, both in physical aspects, such as armor and weapons, structures and scenes, but also in its portrayal of social circumstances and behaviors of Medieval lords and serfs.
Historian Andrew E. Larsen praised the movie’s realistic portrayal of the physical objects and social relationships, But he asserts the film’s presentation of paganism among the serfs is extreme exaggeration, and that the key “custom” of “droit du seigneur” was mythical.
He also criticized the film for romanticizing of “what is, essentially, rape,” and while such rapes have happened, they lacked any legal standing.
Cast
Charlton Heston as Chrysagon
Rosemary Forsyth as Bronwyn
Richard Boone as Bors
Guy Stockwell as Draco
Maurice Evans as Priest
James Farentino as Marc
Henry Wilcoxon as Frisian Prince
Niall MacGinnis as Odins
